Oar paddle, boat hook and oar



June 26, 1962 G. F. BUNKER OAR PADDLE, BOAT HooK AND oAR Filed Feb. 20, 1961 States iiCC 3,040,693 OAR PADDLE, BAT HOOK AND GAR George F. Bunker, 40283 Van Dyke, Utica, Macomb County, Mich. Filed Feb. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 60,518 12 Claims. (Cl. 114-221) The present invention relates to an improved construction of oar paddle, boat hook and oar.

rIhe principal object of the present invention is the provision of an improved oar paddle and boat hook which can be optionally converted by combination of the two into an improved oar. This and other objects of the invention will `become apparent during the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an improved oar embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the parts thereof shown separately in elevation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged broken view partly in section and partly in elevation of certain structure of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view partly in section of the structure of FIG. 3 as viewed along the line 4-4 and in the direction of the arrows thereof;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View partly in elevation of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along the line 5-5 thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a modified form of securing mechanism on the improved boat hook embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, 10 indicates the improved oar paddle and 12 the improved boat hook embodying the present invention.

The boat hook 12 is conventional except for the improvement of the form of a secur` g mechanism inwardly of its hooked shank portion 14 where the latter joins the handle portion 16. The securing mechanism in the form shown in FIGS. l-5 comprises a cylindrical member 18 slidably carried in the hollow of the joined end of the handle -portion 16 and cap 20 which is united to the member 18 by a pin 22 that extends between a pair of slots 24 formed in the wall of the handle portion 16 on opposite sides thereof at its said joined end. Said mechanism further comprises a plug which is fixed within the same hollow a distance from the member 18 and closer to the free end of the handle portion 16. Completing the mechanism is a compression spring 28 which yieldably biases the cap 20 toward the free end of the hooked shank portion 14 via the member 18 as best shown in FIG. 3. A modified form of securing mechanism is shown fitted on handle indicated at 116 in FIG. 6 of a boat hook which comprises a sleeve 102 fixed on said handle portion closer to its free end than the cap 120. The cap 120 is slidably carried on the handle portion and yieldably urged toward the free end of the hooked shank portion (not shown) of the modified boat hook shown in FIG. 6 by an-elastomeric member such as the rubber hand grip 104. The

moveable end of the rubber grip 104 is secured to thev cap 120 as shown and its tixed sleeve 102.

The oar paddle 10 has locking structure integrally formed in it for reception of the hooked shank portion 14 of the boat hook 12 and such structure comprises a central open groove opening to a face 30 of the oarpaddle and extending longitudinally over the length thereof. The open groove is of two parts dierentiated in width over its length. The part of the open groove extending inwardly from the inner endv of the oar paddle is indicated at 32 and tapers in width decreasingly from the semicylindrical neck 34 which is formed at this end of the other end operates against the oar paddle as best shown in FIG. 2. The neck 34 is tapered on its outer surface oppositely of the taper on the inner surface of the caps 20 (and the cap 120 also) for locking engagement of the two as shown in FIG. 3. The part of the open groove extending inwardly from the outer end of the oar paddle is designated 36 and is of constant diameter from where it joins the groove part 32 to where it enters a cylindrical ring 38 formed at this end of the oar paddle. On one side of the open groove is an integral detent 40 which extends outwardly from the fac'e'30 and is bent over so that the free end of the detent is spaced from said face 30 and projects toward the outer end of the oar paddle.`

In operation of the invention, the boat hook 12 is inserted into the oar paddle 10 via the hooked shank portion 14, the straight end 42 of which is threaded through the ring 32 on the oar paddle 10 and pushed beyond the outer end of the oar paddle far enough so that the laterally projecting reversely bent hook 44 is beyond the detent 40 as shown in `dotted outline in FIG. 3 for theser and other parts of the boat hook which are there indipresent invention provided on it in the Y The boat hook 12 is then 10 until the hook 44 is in full lines in FIG. 3

cated by like numerals prime. drawn back on the oar paddle withinthe detent 40 as shown and at the same time the cap 20 is manually drawn back on the handle portion 16 against theurging of the spring 28 until it clears the neck 34 on the oar paddle and is then released. The hook 44 is drawn tightly into the detent 40 through the action of the spring 28 which forces the cap 20 iny one `direction over the neck 34 while drawing the boat hook in the opposite direction inwardly on the oar paddle. The oar paddle 10 and boat hook 12 are thus secured together against movement relative to each other'in all directions forming an oar which cannot be disassembled accidently or otherwise except in one manner which is the reverse of that in which the two are assembled and cannot be carried out unless itis intended. It will thus be seen that there has been provided by the present invention an improved oar paddle which can be stowed in a minimum of space and a boat hook carrying structure cooperative with the oar paddle which' doesnt impair in any way the usefulness of the boat hook alone j and an oar that has all of the advantages and full function of one made specially for this purpose but which is formed simply and easily by combination of the oar paddle and boat hook.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of separable oar paddle and boat hook, said oar paddle having structure receiving the hooked end of the boat hook so that `said hooked end is disposed entirely within the confines of the oar paddle perimeter, said Iboat hook having structurer which cooperates with said oar paddle structure to detachably lock the oar paddle and said hooked end in said received disposition against relative movement in every direction.

2. The mechanism claimed in claim l and in which the oar paddle structure includes detent means operative on the hook of said hooked end and in which the boat hook structure includes apparatus on it inwardly of said hook operative on the inner end of the oar paddle, said apparatus pulling the hook against the detent means by pushing on the inner end Vof the oar paddle.

3. The mechanism claimed in claim 2 and in which said apparatus comprises a member slidably axially on the boat hook inwardly of said hook, and yieldable means yieldably urging said member toward said hook.

4. The mechanism claimed in claim 3 and in which said yieldable means comprises a compression spring.

Y perimeter, Vsaid oar hooked end of a boat hook so that said hooked end can be disposed entirely Within the confines of the oar paddle paddle structure including detent means Ibetween its ends operative on thehook of said hooked end, said detent means comprising an integral member projecting from one face of the oar paddle, said oar paddley structure including lopen grooving 'formed in said one face in which said hooked end interts.

' 9. The mechanism claimed in claim 8 and in, which said `oar paddle structure includes a ring on its outer end and a half ring on its inner end which are coaxially connected by said open grooving.

10. A boat hook having structure for locking VanV oar paddle on its hooked end, said 'boat hook structure including apparatus ony it inwardly of the hook on said hooked end comprising a member slidable axially on the boat hook inwardly of said boat hook; and yieldable means Y yieldably urging said member toward said hook.

Y 11. The combination of separable oar paddle and boat hook, said oar paddle having structure receiving the hooked end of the boat hook so that said hooked end is entirely disposed Within theconiines of the oar paddle perimeter, said boat hook having structure Which coop- 10 and yieldable means urging erates with said oar paddle structure to lock the oar paddle and said hooked end in said received disposition against relative movement in every direction, said oar paddle structure comprising an integral detent member 5 projecting from one of its faces which is operative on the hook of said hooked end and including open grooving formed in said one face in which said hooked end interts, said 'boat hook structure comprising a member slidable axially on the boat hook inwardly of said hook said member toward said hook, said yieldable means pulling the hook against said detent member by pushing on the inner end of the oar paddle via said slidable member.

12. The mechanism claimed in claim 11 and in which 15 said oar paddle structure includes a ring on its outer end through which the free end of said hooked end is threaded and a half ring on its inner end over which said slidable member is engaged;

2O References Cited in the tile of this patent n Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 864,250 I Moriarty Aug. 27, 1907 1,489,003V Poulsen et al. Apr. 1, 1924 2,477,4l0 Johnson July 26, 1949V D 2,702,910 Ake Mar. l, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES l Popular Mechanics, vol. 102, No. 1, July i, V1954, page 228. 

